IMSA 2018

DVR alert.



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P2 car still fastest.

It's a shame they are going to separate the DPIs and P2s next year. We're going from 13-15 potential winners to eight at most.
 
Doc Austin said:
P2 car still fastest.

It's a shame they are going to separate the DPIs and P2s next year. We're going from 13-15 potential winners to eight at most.
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I have no idea what they're thinking. Conspiracy theorist in me says GM and Acura were very upset that they're massive factory programs being pegged back and now being beaten by good privateer teams like JDC-Miller and CORE. I say - what the hell were you expecting? You signed up for a BoP class knowing full well that you would be brought back to the level of the fastest LMP2 (obviously that's turned out to be ORECA). You still get the benefit of damper development that helps on most IMSA circuits - Sebring, Long Beach, Belle Isle, Road Atlanta, etc. Spec P2s are built to be good on smooth European tracks, and the DPis still are pissed they can't be allowed to blow everyone out of the water every race.

Atherton says everyone wanted this, but I think that's bull. Jon Bennett already came out and said he's disappointed he can't run for overall anymore. Atherton also thinks AsLMS/ELMS/WEC teams are still going to come over and run in the new P2 class at Daytona and Sebring, something else I think is bull. Why would they spend the same amount of money to not run for overall anymore?

Oh, and the only way this could realistically work is if IMSA mandated customer sales of DPi cars - which Atherton has already said isn't happening. So that's out the window. JDC-Miller want to run DPi, but where are they going to get a car? There are some rumblings of Hyundai and Cadillac, but the former seems to be too late in the game to make happen for 2019 and GM is probably already stretched at 3.5 cars.
 
Another excellent race. CORE even have an outside shot at the overall championship.

We need to get rid of this?
 
FLRacingFan said:
I have no idea what they're thinking. Conspiracy theorist in me says GM and Acura were very upset that they're massive factory programs being pegged back and now being beaten by good privateer teams like JDC-Miller and CORE. I say - what the hell were you expecting?
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I agree with this. Makes no sense to me to relegate the Gibson-powered cars to a footnote, complete with the quaintly-phrased "gentleman drivers" requirement. Will be one more thing I'll ignore along with the GT-Daytona class.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Oh, and the only way this could realistically work is if IMSA mandated customer sales of DPi cars - which Atherton has already said isn't happening.
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This would be fine if we had 30 DPIs, but right now we only have nine. JDM supposedly cut a deal for two Cadillacs, so that's 11. That's an ok field, but this year we counted on the P2 cars filling out the prototype grid. Like in Europe, the P2 cars are often the stars of the show. Now they will be out there looking and sounding like prototypes, but now they will be an uncompetitive spec class that will just be in the way.

I would be ok with relegating the P2 cars to their own class as long as privateers could buy a DPI. With this new plan, you can't even get into the top class.

Word right now is the ESMS Nissans won't be back unless they land a major sponsor, so that could be one of our manufacturers pulling out when times are good. If there is a slight dip in the economy, or if one manufacturer starts winning too much, you can bet the others will pull out citing "too expensive" when they were the ones running up the costs to begin with. Then we will have to fall back on our privateers, only they won't be there any more.

GM is probably already stretched at 3.5 cars.
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Dallara builds the chassis and bodywork. All GM supplies is the engines, and you know they have plenty of those. I think it's more like they don't want their factory teams getting beat no matter who is doing it. The shortsighted part of this is as long as a Caddy is winning, Caddy is winning. Why not supply privateers and beat everyone else with strength in numbers

That's how Porsche did it in Group C. Even if you managed to beat the factory cars, you still had to go through Joest, Kremer, Firtzpatrick,, Brun, Obermier, Schuppan and others. On top of that, Porsche actually paid for their Group C program by selling 962s and parts for them. So, now you are racing and winning, and when you can't win you can count on your customers who you also make money off of. How short sighted that DPI manufacturers are not lining up for this.
 
Doc Austin said:
This would be fine if we had 30 DPIs, but right now we only have nine. JDM supposedly cut a deal for two Cadillacs, so that's 11. That's an ok field, but this year we counted on the P2 cars filling out the prototype grid. Like in Europe, the P2 cars are often the stars of the show. Now they will be out there looking and sounding like prototypes, but now they will be an uncompetitive spec class that will just be in the way.

I would be ok with relegating the P2 cars to their own class as long as privateers could buy a DPI. With this new plan, you can't even get into the top class.

Word right now is the ESMS Nissans won't be back unless they land a major sponsor, so that could be one of our manufacturers pulling out when times are good. If there is a slight dip in the economy, or if one manufacturer starts winning too much, you can bet the others will pull out citing "too expensive" when they were the ones running up the costs to begin with. Then we will have to fall back on our privateers, only they won't be there any more.

Dallara builds the chassis and bodywork. All GM supplies is the engines, and you know they have plenty of those. I think it's more like they don't want their factory teams getting beat no matter who is doing it. The shortsighted part of this is as long as a Caddy is winning, Caddy is winning. Why not supply privateers and beat everyone else with strength in numbers

That's how Porsche did it in Group C. Even if you managed to beat the factory cars, you still had to go through Joest, Kremer, Firtzpatrick,, Brun, Obermier, Schuppan and others. On top of that, Porsche actually paid for their Group C program by selling 962s and parts for them. So, now you are racing and winning, and when you can't win you can count on your customers who you also make money off of. How short sighted that DPI manufacturers are not lining up for this.
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Yep, just as I said that, JDC-Miller announced a two-car Cadillac program for next year. Presumably SoD are out, with all of their troubles this year. Still, Mazda came out today and said no customer sales. Acura/Penske is exclusive, who knows about ESM/Nissan. There are rumblings that a Ford DPi program is in the works for 2019 or 2020 though, probably with Ganassi. I'd love to see CORE bring in another manufacturer but that'd probably take until 2020.

The new LMP2 class is going to be bleak and dumb next year.

 
FLRacingFan said:

Hey @Reck - Whincup and Mostert are going to make their U.S. debuts in the next couple of months. :D

https://www.supercars.com/news/championship/whincup-to-race-in-united-states/

https://sportscar365.com/imsa/iwsc/mostert-to-complete-bmw-lineup-at-petit-le-mans/
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What are the odds that both Chaz and Jamie would both get a call to compete in consecutive races at the same series? I'm not gonna miss those.

Although going by Chaz's quotes I dont think he's as enthusiastic as Jamie in his debut. lol

Thanks for the heads up.
 
FLRacingFan said:
The Nissan will be available for customer sales.
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Great news. The remaining problem is Acura and Mazda say no way until 2020. The article on Racer says "interested buyers will have the ability to purchase the twin-turbo V6-powered DPi, provided they come to terms with the French constructor." Like, what the hell does that mean? Onroack won't sell cars? Onroak can demand whatever they want because there is no other way to get a DPI?

You can't have supply on the backs of Nissan and Cadillac alone while Acura and Nazda get a free ride and not have to supply anyone. That's simply not fair to those who are doing the supplying. It's not fair to the privateers who can't buy a competitive car. We need equal access to equipment across the board or someone is going to get left out.

I don't see the big deal in not requiring it. The chassis manufacturers will surely be happy to sell cars, and the auto manufacturers only have to supply engines. Is there a shortage of Cadillac V8s or Nissan GTR motors? I don't think so. Mazda is running an AER (or something) and aren't they in business to sell engines? I'm also pretty sure Acura is big enough that they can supply a few more motors too. The supply itself is not the problem. The problem is the manufacturers want exclusivity, which, surprise, only works in their interest instead of the interest of the sport.

IMSA let this go too far from the beginning. They should have required each manufacturer to have the capacity to supply at least 1/3 of a 20 car field. I would say 1/4 would be a good number except if we lost a manufacturer we would not have enough cars.

Finally, IMSA want us to believe they can BOP the entire DPI field, but they can't make that work to include P2 cars? The P2 cars are the only thing that got the new prototype era off the ground to begin with, and now they are going to throw those cars, teams and people away by making them race for a class win? Imagine if CORE can't land a DPI. They went from winning races and contesting for the championship to racing in obscurity.

First IMSA used the excuse that P2 entrants were unhappy their cars were not competitively BOPed and they needed a place where they could race to win. Oddly, I never saw a P2 entrant say they wanted there own class. This decision was never etched in stone until P2 cars actually won some races, and now all of a sudden it's the law. I think it's most likely that the DPI manufacturers were embarrassed to get beaten by cars and teams no one ever heard of, even though they signed up for that possibility.

In the end, until we have equal access, and the privateers being able to convert their current cars to DPI, this is all just another example of the privateers getting screwed over. All of them bought cars and equipment because they were assured they would be competitive, and now they are resigned to the support class role. If I had bought a P2, I would be furious right now, and I am sure some of them are.
 
Sorry I missed this:

FLRacingFan said:
Yep, just as I said that, JDC-Miller announced a two-car Cadillac program for next year. Presumably SoD are out, with all of their troubles this year.
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I think they only destroyed one car (Sebring), and at the Glen they only did minor damage, unless I missed something. If that puts them out they were probably marginal anyway. Maybe someone will buy their car and run it, and Taylor has a used Caddy for sale after the season is over. So, that could be two used Caddys for sale. Hopefully if they can't get a new DPI, CORE will pick those up.

I don't know if Caddy will sell any more cars, but it's hard to believe they can't come up with the motors and Dallara can't make more cars.

Still, Mazda came out today and said no customer sales.
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Unless I have it wrong, Mazda is running a Riley, and since no one else wants anything to do with those cars, I'm sure they would be available. Also, Mazda is running an AER motor (or something), and aren't they in business to sell motors? The point is, all of Mazda's stuff should be available, except Mazda won't give it up.

Acura/Penske is exclusive, who knows about ESM/Nissan.
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Hard to believe Acura can't support more engines, or that Oreca can't make more cars. Acura and Mazda are hoarding their equipment, which is wrong.

Outside of Sebring, Nissan has either not been competitive or have blown up, so how many people will sign up for that? At least they are willing to supply teams with cars and motors.

There are rumblings that a Ford DPi program is in the works for 2019 or 2020 though, probably with Ganassi.
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Wow. That would be mega as long as they would sell a few customer cars.

I'd love to see CORE bring in another manufacturer but that'd probably take until 2020.
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They need to do something now. I can't imagine after the taste of winning they just got that they would settle for P2 support class wins.

The new LMP2 class is going to be bleak and dumb next year.
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Damm, I hope not. That's the only car that is widely available to anyone who wants one.
 
What a race. Great finish in GTD. Really surprised Sellers raced Legge as hard as he did.

That M8 is a ****** tank. Wipes out a Lexus and somehow comes out spotless and wins the race lol.
 
IMSA: Jordan Taylor drives No. 10 Cadillac to new WeatherTech Raceway record en route to Motul Pole Award
Jordan Taylor blistered his brother Ricky's old track record on the way to taking the pole at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Oliver Gavin and Katherine Legge took pole honors in GTLM and GTD.

1st one
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Co-driving the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 with Alvaro Parente, Legge narrowly eclipsed the previous track record – set by Madison Snow last year in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 – by.013 seconds with a time of one minute, 24.456 seconds (95.396 mph).

Ironically, it’s Snow and his co-driver Bryan Sellers in the No. 48 that Legge is currently chasing in the GTD championship. Snow also will start alongside the No. 86 Acura on the front row for Sunday’s two-hour, 40-minute America’s Tire 250. Legge is 13 points behind the Paul Miller Racing duo.
 
Wow they wrecked before the starting line. Some really good championship cars out of it. 911, Barbosa hit multiple times in the 5, and the 66 Ford GT
 
Very, very sloppy race, but in the end they cleaned it up and we got another typical IMSA race.

Having been critical of IMSA for early on letting the P2 cars be noncompetitive, I think they now have a reasonable balance between every prototype on the grid. The fact a P2 privateer goes into the finale with good chance is a great thing for sportscar racing. It will be ironic if the Flexbow car wins after IMSA plans to split the prototypes into two classes for next year because the P2 cars couldn't win! I think they just need to leave everything the hell alone. They have finally got everything right and now they are going to screw it up.

Bad, bad luck for the Taylor crew, another heartbreak for Mazda (hope they win the petitie) and as bitter of a pill as possible for the Mustang Sampling car, who just a few races ago looked like it was their championship to lose. The Penske (Acura) seem to be lacking just a little something, but I'm betting they will run as well at Atlanta as they did last year. The Whelon car was looking really good, but it has slipped away from them in the last few races.

As well as Flexbow has been running lately, Whelon goes into Atlanta, I think, as the underdog. Considering the Vadillac failures we have seen this year, coupled with the P2 Gibson being cast iron reliable, we could very well see the championship turn on reliability. Personally I am hoping the Flexbow car wins the championship because any time privateers run well things only get better for the sport. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't sit very well with the DPI manufacturers at all, but remember, we were promised the P2 cars would get a fair shake, so no one can complain.

Finally, great win for ESM Nissan and hopefully this will help them land a big sponsor and stay in the game next year.

So, hopefully the WEC teams were watching this, because what we have right here is much more affordable than what the FIA super GT cars will be and probably race better as well.
 
I swear Mazda could enter an Xfinity Series road race and find a way to lose.

I'm pulling hard for CORE to win Prototype and MSR/Katherine Legge to win GTD. Both would be great stories.

Pipo Derani/Felipe Nasr at Action Express next year is going to be a lethal driver combo.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I swear Mazda could enter an Xfinity Series road race and find a way to lose.
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When was the last time Joest had a winless year? It doesn't make any sense they have not contended more.

I'm pulling hard for CORE to win Prototype and MSR/Katherine Legge to win GTD. Both would be great stories.

Pipo Derani/Felipe Nasr at Action Express next year is going to be a lethal driver combo.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Missed this last week. Interesting, considering FOX's poor coverage and constant channel-jumping.
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The coverage was pretty decent, but the channel jumping was extremely annoying. Hopefully we won't have to deal with that any more.
 
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